K12 Headlines

9/11/2013

State schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson called Tuesday for the state Senate to overhaul California’s standardized testing system despite the threat that the changes could result in the loss of millions in federal education dollars.

Red Burns was one of the most influential figures in the tech industry over the past 30 years, most famous for co-founding the groundbreaking Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU. Two weeks ago, she passed away. But much more needs to be said about one of the smartest, gutsiest women I ever knew, and about what she thought about education, technology, design … and life.

Digital technology is a good thing when it comes to motivating today’s students. But it also raises many challenges, the biggest of which involve effectiveness and equality. State, district, and even classroom leaders would serve students, their families, and taxpayers well by creating and sharing policies that thoroughly address technology's effect on these areas.

Magnus Gyan LLC, a U.S.-based technology company helping to spread knowledge to growth economies digitally, appointed John M. Danielson, former chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education, to its board of directors. Danielson will help guide the company in developing its strategic road map.

With the start of school comes a heightened awareness of security and privacy from parents and the community. Here are 10 questions about access and identity management to consider when planning for a digital learning environment.

Since 23 percent of American teens have tablet computers, 47 percent have smartphones, and 78 percent have cellphones, a bring your own device policy is on the rise, according to the Pew Research Center. But will students who can't afford the technology be left behind?﻿

With Facebook and other social media barred in Virginia's Chesterfield Public Schools, Adam Seldow, chief of technology for the district, says so many teachers got hooked on Edmodo that its use is going districtwide.

Kent Denver School, in Englewood, Colo., announced the opening of the Duncan Center, a 21st-century learning facility that provides modern instructional and collaboration design elements, technology to enable student-to-student connections around the world, and facilities to help close the digital divide.